WATER GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA (AFRICAN WATER LAWS AND INSTITUTES, AFRICAN MODELS FOR TRANSBOUNDARY WATER MANAGEMENT AND GENDER IN IRRIGATION IN AFRICA AND ASIA)

The research question

Which institutional and legal arrangements sustainably augment and strengthen the water rights of poor women and men in South Africa, Tanzania, and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Objective

The main objective is to analyze indigenous water management practices and understand the correspondence and interaction with formal laws and institutions currently being designed and implemented under national and transboundary IWRM water reform, in order to formulate and test recommendations for institutional and legal design that empower the rural poor.

Methods
  • Primary research and literature reviews at community, intermediate, national and transboundary levels; national and international policy dialogue, basin workshops in the Volta and Limpopo; international seminar (synthesis and learning). In particular, South Africa (Olifants Basin).
  • Research on the formation of Catchment Management Agency, Infrastructure Management, Water Allocation Reform, revitalization of smallholder-irrigation schemes and national policy dialogue, where the project is represented on the expert panel for Water Allocation Reform.
  • Post-doctoral research on the transformation of Irrigation Boards into inclusive Water Users Associations
  • Ph.D. research on equity focus and effectiveness in national decision-support tools. Additionally, elsewhere in Africa
  • Ph.D. research comparing water and land reform in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
  • M.Sc. and Ph.D. research on institutional reform and water re-allocation in the Inkomati.
  • In Tanzania: see Riparwin project
  • In Volta and Limpopo basins: comparative ethnographic qualitative field studies on customary arrangements, and linking with Volta and Limpopo governmental basin institutions.

    In Sub-Saharan Africa:
  • Linking with global debates, in particular in India/Asia and Latin America
  • International workshop 'African Water Laws: Plural legalistic frameworks for water management in Sub-Saharan Africa' (January 2005).
  • Conference of invited speakers and policy dialogue through national dialogue, GWP, AMCOW, UNECA, etc.

Project leader

Mark Giordano (Mark.giordano@cgiar.org)

Researchers

Merrey, Douglas; Sullivan, Amy; Van Koppen, Barbara

Major Donors

Challenge Program on Water and Food

Project Duration

15 June 2004 to 14 June 2007

Location

IWMI - Sub Regional Office for Southern Africa